Sri Lanka: Religious Conflict
In 2019, after the suicide bombers attacked Catholic churches and tourists hotels killing 250 people, the bombers had a clear link to the islamic terrorist group known as ISIS. After the matter, a temporary ban on all face coverings were put in place in majority buddhist nations and all nations affected were on high alert. In today’s Sri Lanka, the government puts plans to not only ban burqas forever to “ensure national security” but also close 1,000 islamic schools.
A burqa is an outer garment worn to cover the entire body and the face and is used by some Muslim women and girls. The minister of national security Sarath Weerasekara has for a long time said, “The burqa has a direct impact on national security.” Whilst he claims the Burqas are a threat to national security many are viewing the ban as going against religious rights that should be given to all muslim women. Along with believing it should be a right, many Sri Lankans have been told by government officials that the Burqas are evidence of religious extremism. Many are protesting against the ban, however, the push for it has been backed by much of the government.
In addition, the government has put forth plans to shut more than 1,000 islamic schools. The closing of the islamic schools is said to have happened because the schools go against the education policies in Sri Lanka. Although officials believe that the schools go against many of the guidelines for education, an argument can be made that the government is trying to appease Sri Lanka’s Buddhist majority and cause divisions.
In 2021, the looming effects of the church bombing have led all government officials in Sri Lanka to be on edge. Furthermore, the Muslims today have been forced out of their religious rights.
Discussion Questions:
In your opinion, Is a ban on the Burqas restricting religious rights?
What instances in history, that you can think of, have made evident indications of a religious divide? https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/15/asia/sri-lanka-burqa-ban-intl-hnk/index.html
One instance in history that created religious divide was ( although I'm not sure what the exact event was ) the independence of India, as shortly after there were riots and fights between Hindu and Muslim people, and it was serious enough that part of India was broken off and became Pakistan. Although there may not be war conflicts, the divide between the Muslim and Hindu community is vast.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, banning the Burqas is directly restricting religious rights because the facial coverings are really important to the culture as well as the religion. I understand that there can be security risks but I do think that most women that wear the covering, would understand that it might be necessary to remove the covering for a moment in a private area just to assure the safety of others and themselves. There's got to be a better way to identify individuals without forcing them to remove a piece of clothing thats extremely important to keep on. Fingerprinting or having an ID might be a little idealistic however I think it's a small effort that's worth it in the end to preserve the dignity and respect of both the affected and the government.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that a ban on the Burqas seems quite unnecessary, and raises concerns about how it might be due to religious beliefs. I also think that trying to limit what people can wear generally goes against their freedoms. Of course, this limit of freedom can sometimes be justified, such as now as people are required to wear face masks in order to prevent the pandemic from getting worse. But, in this case trying to prevent terrorists attacks by not letting people wear face coverings doesn't really get at the reason for those terrorist attacks in the first place, and is probably quite ineffective.
ReplyDeleteApologies, not sure why my name isn't showing - Andre W.
DeleteI agree with Grace that banning a piece of clothing will not stop the bad Muslims, and their supporters. It only punishes the innocent, who are simply following religious rules. An example of a religious divide was in 1930s Germany, with the Jews being the exaggerated enemy of the people. The Nazis made the Jews in Germany wear stars, and were denied access to many public places and were forced to live away from everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think the ban on burqas are restrictive of religious rights, but at the same time it is necessary. To prevent future bombing incidents, the ban of concealing clothing is necessary, and for the prevention of incidents like these, it is necessary. On the other hand, the closing of Islamic schools is unnecessary to prevent bombings, and can almost be seen as racist.
ReplyDeleteThe Ban on Burqas is definitely violating religious rights as it is a important aspect in muslim and middle eastern culture. Restricting or banning a cultural/religious piece infringes on the rights that people have. Any sort of restriction similar to the banning of Burqas violates human rights.
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